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Postgraduate Education
The postgraduate education program in Obstetrics and Gynecology at McMaster University is designed to train residents to practice competent clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology and to qualify for the Royal College examination. For most residents, the training programme will be five years in length. Completion of the entire programme depends on satisfactory completion of each of the components within the program. Sitting the final examination with the Royal College depends on satisfactory completion of a year as senior resident.
The Residency
Training Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology at McMaster University
is a totally integrated program involving three hospitals within
the city as well as opportunities to train in several other neighbouring
community hospitals. The hospitals in Hamilton are themselves
coordinated in a series of regional programs which concentrate
specialized facilities at certain hospitals and provide mutual
support for other specialized facilities which are needed at all
hospitals. The results are that the residents receive a good variety
of clinical experience and at all times draw from a wide range
of teachers.
The Royal College Specialty Committee in Obstetrics and Gynecology has accepted the CREOG goals and objectives as its own goals and objectives for specialty training. The postgraduate program in Obstetrics and Gynecology at McMaster University has additional goals and objectives that it feels are necessary for satisfactory training as a consultant in the specialty. A minimum standard for performance relative to knowledge, attitudes, and skills must be mastered to merit advancement in the residency program.
The program is problem-centred and experience-based: residents carry out their duties and responsibilities under supervised backup. As the resident progresses through the programme, the level of supervision decreases and there is a gradual increase in responsibility for patient care with seniority. The successful delivery of high quality care to patients depends on the resident's responsibility for honest self evaluation.
The first postgraduate year (PGY1) is a broad-based clinical year, in which residents develop foundational skills with broad applications.
The PGY2 and PGY3 years of the program are tightly structured and represent "core training" in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Throughout the program the resident is required to participate in the teaching of patients, medical and nursing students, peers, and other health professionals. Residents are expected to acquire skills of self-directed, problem-based learning as well as skills in critical appraisal and understanding research principles, and are encouraged to become actively involved in a research project.
Throughout the five years there is a weekly Academic Half-day. Attendance at the half-day is mandatory for all residents. The half-day commences with a one-hour clinical pathological conference where the residents select a topic of interest, usually revolving around an interesting case, and the presentation, diagnostic procedures and relevant therapies are discussed. The remainder of the afternoon is oriented towards review of topics pertinent to Obstetrics and Gynecology with varying speakers and formats.
Within each hospital academic rounds are a regular occurrence; the resident is expected to attend and participate in these opportunities.
It is expected
that each resident will participate in research opportunities
during his/her residency training program. To this end the department
has established a research committee to assist residents to select
topics, to identify preceptors and to help in the on-going collection
and evaluation of data involved in the project. Each year, during
academic half-day, courses are presented on "how to perform
research". Residents with projects are given time during
years PGY3 to PGY5 which is free of service commitment in order
to properly complete their research. Residents presenting their
research at national meetings are aided financially.
Goals and objectives are available for each of the core rotations.
It is expected that elective experiences will be goal-directed
as well.
Clinician Investigator Program
On completion of their residency training, the department encourages residents to consider obtaining additional research training and, potentially, an academic position as a clinician-investigator. The department, and its members, will facilitate this in the following ways:
- Career advice will be provided to residents by the program director at the 6 monthly evaluations of progress
- Residents will have opportunities to have discussions with established clinician-investigators from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and from other departments.
- The department will help to arrange opportunities for interested residents to meet with potential research supervisors and representatives of McMaster's Graduate Studies programs
Residents will be familiarized with, and encouraged to contact representatives of, the McMaster Clinician Investigator Program
- The department will work with residents and prospective research supervisors to secure salary support for research fellowship years
- The department will consider making a direct contribution to the funding of research fellowship positions on a case-by-case basis. For research fellows who are enrolled in McMaster's Clinician Investigator Program, there is a provisional arrangement that the department will match funds (1:1) committed by the primary research supervisor or the graduate studies program in which the trainee research fellow will be enrolled.
The residency program is arranged on a five level basis, with each level usually equated to one year in the program -- the first year being basic clinical training.
The program provides education and training in Obstetrics and Gynecology with increasing responsibility for patient care under supervision throughout the program. At the completion of the program, and when certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the successful candidate should be competent to practice the specialty of Obstetrics and Gynecology as a consultant.
PGY1: The first postgraduate year of training is broad-based and will provide the resident with broad functional capabilities and enable him/her to successfully complete the MCCQE Part 2.
PGY2: These 12 months of the program consist of an even 6 month split between general Obstetric and Gynecologic training. Evaluations take place quarterly and the American College CREOG exams are taken in January for self-evaluation purposes.
PGY3: The third 12 months of the program consist of one month of ultrasound training. along with taking three subspecialties consisting of 3 months of Maternal Fetal Medicine, 3 months of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, 3 months of female urology and urodynamics, 3 months of Gynecologic Oncology or 3 months of Colopscopy and Pathology. There is also the choice of 6 months of electives. Elective experiences outside the McMaster teaching hospitals require individual negotiation: a maximum of three months has been acceptable in the past when justified on educational grounds. Experiences outside the province or the country or experiences longer than three months must be negotiated with the Director of Postgraduate Education and approved by the Programme Director. The resident is expected to make their initial research presentation this November at RT Weaver Scientific Day. Note: Residents who are on the Gynecologic Oncology and Colposcopy/Pathology rotations do home call (1 in 3) for the Gyn Onc patients at the Juravinski Cancer Centre.
PGY4: The fourth 12 months of the program consist of completing the rotations that were not done or available to the resident in PGY3. The resident is expected to present a second research project report during this year (in November).
PGY5: During the final 12 months of the program, the resident rotates for at least six months and a maximum of 9 months as a chief resident at McMaster University Medical Centre and St. Joseph’s Hospital. The time is approximately equal between Obstetrics and Gynecology. During the months on Gynecology, the resident has general charge of the gynecologic wards and operating room and carries out administrative responsibilities relative to other learners in the system. He or she is responsible for the staffing and conduct of the chief resident clinics, the consulting services including the emergency room, and the gynecologic operating room. In the months in Obstetrics, the resident has general charge of the labour and delivery area, the obstetrical wards and the consulting services. He or she is responsible to the Chief of Service as well as the attending physician for the care and treatment of patients. In the final 3 months the resident is on senior rotation where they are given time to prepare for their Royal College exams and spend less time on-call.
PAIRO (Professional Association of Interns and Residents of Ontario) Agreement:
The residency program follows the guidelines of the PAIRO contract
and betters the agreement in some areas such as on-call duty.
PGY2 and PGY3 residents will take no more than 1 in 4 on calls
per month; PGY4 residents no more than 6 calls per month; senior
residents, PGY5, no more than 4 calls per month.
WEB eVAL is here! WEB eEval is a medical education administration software product that has been designed by Dr. Ric Arseneau, an internist at the University of British Columbia. The program was originally implemented in Internal Medicine at UBC. This system is a program that provides electronic interface for evaluation forms that are presently used: resident, faculty and rotation evaluations. WEB eVAL will help to provide evaluation in a timely manner and help to make the evaluation process more meaningful and effective.
Postgraduate Education Committee
The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Postgraduate Education Committee usually meets the third Thursday of each month.
Throughout the year residents are given the opportunity to participate in a variety of events including:
- Resident
Welcome BBQ - This BBQ is held each year at a Faculty Member's house for Residents, Faculty and significant others to welcome the incoming PGY1's.This event is normally held in July.
- RT Weaver Scientific Day - This year the research
day was held at the McMaster University Club on November
9, 2011.
- Gala Resident Journal Club - (4 times per year) where residents prepare journal articles to present and discuss.
-
Practice OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) - for senior and junior residents to prepare for their Royal College exams. There are two practice OSCE sessions each year for each of the senior and junior residents.
-
CMAS (Centre for Minimal Access Surgery) - training sessions where residents are given opportunities to participate in surgeries in a state of the art environment. There are four CMAS sessions each year; two for the juniors and two for the seniors (1 half day and 1full day each)
-
Resident Appreciation Night - This is an evening event that the residents, staff and faculty are given a chance to celebrate the successes of the year and wish the new graduates well in their future endeavors.
- OSATS
Click here for a list of scheduled events for the 2011-2012 Academic Year.
Rotation Schedules
On-Call Schedules
Academic Half Day Schedules
- Every Wednesday is the Academic Half Day (AHD) for the residents in Obstetrics & Gynecology. View the 2011/2012 draft AHD schedule.
At McMaster University Medical Centre and St. Joseph's Hospital interns from various other McMaster Postgraduate Programs and Clinical Clerks from McMaster Undergraduate Medical Education are trained in basics of Obstetrics & Gynecology. When these learners start at one of these two sites they are given an orientation to the faculties as well as an orientation package which can also be found here.
Facilities and resources are more than adequate to meet the requirements of the Royal College Specialty Committee in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Our uniqueness comes from three directions. First is our faculty's leadership in the formulation and evaluation of appropriate patient management. Second is our endeavour to ensure the proper training in the evaluation of the literature and the attempt to have the resident participate in the excitement of research. Third is our attitude towards residency, making it humane, recognizing that education, not service, is our primary goal and recognizing that residents
Sites of Core Rotations Include:
- McMaster University Medical Centre
- St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton
- Juravinski Cancer Centre
- Henderson General Hospital
- Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital
- Brantford General Hospital
- Milton
Forms
Please complete the request on Medportal. If you are a Family Medicine resident the vacation request must first go to Wendy Milburn.
Person Responsible for On Call (PROC)
In the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology the PROC is the Chief Resident. Vacation requests however are all filtered through the Postgrad Assistant, Tammy Purchase before being sent to the Chief and Site Coordinators for approval.
Vacation Entitlement
All residents are entitled to 20 vacation days and 7 professional leave days per academic year. These days cannot be carried over to the next year. Here is a list of dates that are recognized holidays.
- Thursday, July 1 2010– Canada Day
- Monday, August 2 2010– Civic Holiday
- Monday, September 6 2010– Labour day
- Monday, October 11 2010– Thanksgiving
- Monday, December 25– Christmas
- Tuesday, December 26– Boxing Day
- Monday, February 21 – Family Day
- Friday, April 22 – Good Friday
- Monday, May 23 – Victoria Day
Click here to download a list of our current residents and their contact information.
Elective Opportunities
Students, clerks, and residents outside of the Obstetrics & Gynecology Program who are looking for elective opportunities should contact Elizabeth Chamorro. Elizabeth can be reached email at chamore@mcmaster.ca .
Where to Send Correspondence
Dr. Valerie Mueller
Residency Program Director
1280 Main St. W., HSC-4D9
Hamilton, Ontario L8S 3K1Fax: 905-577-0471
Tammy Purchase
Postgraduate Program Coordinator
1280 Main St. W, HSC-4D9
Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1
purchas@mcmaster.ca
905-521-2100 Ext. 76250
NOTE: all applications to the Residency Program MUST go through CaRMS, CEHPEA, or McMaster Postgraduate Education (for outside funded applicants only). We do not accept any applications sent directly to the office.
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